The delicious and lively taste and great healing traits of parsley are mostly ignored and overshadowed by its popularity as a garnishing element. Parsley is a Mediterranean region native and it had been administered for its medicinal properties prior to consuming it in the form of food.

Parsley health benefits are great as it is equipped with Vitamin A, C, and K. Parsley is accepted as an excellent source of folic acid and iron. Coming from Umbelliferae plant family, its Latin as well as scientific name is Petroselinum crispum.

Parsley Health Benefits

Parsley is armed with two types of rare elements that make it nutrient rich for medicinal purposes. The first is oil elements – myristicin, alpha-thujene, limonene, etc. and the next is flavonoids – apigenin, crisoeriol, apiin, etc.

Beneficial for Cancer Protection : Volatile oils of Parsley – specifically myristicin can inhibit tumor development in lungs as per studies conducted on animals. The volatile oils act as "chemoprotective" food, which helps neutralizing specific kind of carcinogens, found in cigarette smoke. It is instrumental in developing any ailment associated with smoking. Hence parsley health benefits include its combating nature against smoke related ailments.

Anti-Oxidant Nutrients-Great Parsley Health Benefits : The flavonoids of parsley, specifically luteolin acts as strong antioxidants when fused with oxygen-containing molecules, which prohibits cells from getting any oxygen-driven damage. Apart from this, the extracts of parsley have been proved to be a great promoter in catapulting the antioxidant component of the blood.

Parsley is rich source of two prominent nutrients – vitamin A and vitamin C- necessary to prohibit several diseases. Vitamin C is soluble antioxidant that eliminates free radicals in the body. Increase in free radical can lead to colon cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, including asthma. Hence risk of some types of cancers is also part of parsley health benefits.

Parsley Good for a Healthy Heart : Parsley is also rich in folic acid, which is necessary vitamin B. Its more crucial role is in cardiovascular system of our body. Eating meal rich in folic acid (parsley) is a great idea and good remedy for people who wish to retain a healthy heart and ward off any cardiovascular disorder. Folic acid can also be considered to be critical in cancer-prevention in two part of body where cells are quickly divided – cervix and colon. Prevention from cervix and colon cancer is also considered to be a prominent parsley health benefits.

Protect against Rheumatoid Arthritis : It has been established through scientific researches that food rich in vitamin C, like parsley, can protect human beings from inflammatory polyarthritis, which is a type of rheumatoid arthritis found in two or more joints.

So, whenever you encounter with parsley during your meal, welcome it with smile and consume it with pride. You will be gifted with a bonus of its potential of cleansing your palate along with your breath when after you finish your meal. Bring some changes in your regular diet plan by including parsley into it and leverage parsley health benefits.

Benefits for teeth and gum : Parsley contains Eugenol, an essential oil which finds therapeutic use in dentistry as local anesthetic and anti-septic agent for gums / teeth.

How to Select and Store

To avail optimum parsley health benefits, select fresh parsley compared to the dried ones as it is better in flavor. Go for fresh and deep green parsley that looks crisp. Escape bunches having wilted or yellow leaves. If you opt for dried parsley flakes, opt for organically develop parsley as it will offer assurance that it has not been exposed to any type of radiation.

You should store the fresh parsley in the refrigerator using a plastic container. If parsley appears to be little wilted, you can either sprinkle some water on it or can wash and leave some content of water prior to storing it.

Quick serving ideas for parsley

Even today, parsley's most popular use remains as a garnishing agent over vegetables, salads, and other recipes, but can also be used in other ways. It can be used with soups and sauces. It can also be used as a part of vegetable salad. So start innovating with parsley today!

Precaitions Using Parsley

Parsley is considered to be safe for all adults if used for medicinal purposed for short span. For some people it may lead to some skin allergic reactions depending on their medical history and medical conditions. Eating large quantity of parsley can result in some side effects like anemia and kindly or liver disorders instead of offering parsley health benefits.

Pregnancy and Breast-feeding: Parsley, if taken for medicinal purposes in large amount during pregnancy may create troubles. Parsley has often been administered for abortion and to begin menstrual cycle. Not much has been known about the consumption of parsley during breast-feeding. It’s ideal to avoid eating parsley during nursing period.

Fluid Retention: Parsley is often witnessed to have helped the body in retaining sodium (salt), and this condition may lead to enhanced level of water in our body which may be an unhealthy sign.

High Blood Pressure: It is thought that parsley can also retain salt amount within our body leading to increase in the salt quantity which may worsen the high blood pressure condition.

Kidney Disease: It is advisable not to consume parsley if you are suffering from kidney ailment. It is pregnant with chemicals helping in making kidney disorder deteriorate.

Parsley can interact with aspirin, Warfarin (Coumadin), water pills (Diuretic drugs) and also some "water drugs" like chlorothiazide (Diuril), furosemide (Lasix), chlorthalidone (Thalitone), and some others.

Safe Parsley Dosages Per Day

The right dosage of parsley should be entirely dependent on multiple aspects like age, medical background, health condition and host of others. Nonetheless, there is no scientific detail available for right dosage of parsley every day, the most common dose of parsley root or leaf could be 6 g of herb per day if consumed in dried form and 3 doses per day having 2 g of each dose soaked in 150 ml of water.

You can also prepare a concoction of parsley root with a ratio of 1 g of root or leave to 1 ml of water and this solution can be used two to three times daily having 2 ml of each does.

Recommendation

Parsely is full of nutrients and health benefits. It is highly recommended to be included in ones diet, but after understanding its limitations and precautions.